The most surprising casualty of ESPN’s recent layoffs may have been Jeff Van Gundy, a beloved analyst known for his neurotic tendencies, channeling his inner Larry David with longwinded, stream-of-consciousness tangents about everything from flopping to his celebrity crush. A staple of the network’s NBA coverage since 2007, the former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets coach will be a tough act to follow, leaving an enormous void in his wake.
Given its cost-cutting mandate, ESPN is likely to stay in-house by promoting JJ Redick or Doris Burke. Though if Disney were to hire from outside the company, one potential candidate to replace Van Gundy could be Doc Rivers.
Fired by the Philadelphia 76ers after blowing a 3-2 series lead to Boston (who he previously led to an NBA title) in this year’s playoffs, Rivers could wait for another coaching vacancy to open up, however, others suspect he’ll pursue whatever broadcasting opportunities are available.
Though it was almost 20 years ago, Rivers had success as a color analyst on ABC in 2004, calling that year’s Finals alongside play-by-play veteran Al Michaels. If Rivers is keen on returning to the booth, who better to pair him with than Hall-of-Famer Mike Breen, who the New York Post cites as a “close” friend?
That would certainly be an interesting dynamic, though a splash hire like Rivers might invite questionable optics following Friday’s carnage (ESPN faced similar backlash after details of Pat McAfee’s contract leaked to the media). Not that he’s hurting for money—the Sixers still owe Rivers $16 million after firing him with two years left on his deal.
It’s an interesting hypothetical to ponder, and certainly, Rivers’ chemistry with Breen can’t be discounted. Though with the dust still settling on ESPN’s latest talent purge, don’t expect a resolution anytime soon.
